The entire LEED documentation and certification process has gone online to reduce the time and cost of getting LEED certification, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) announced recently.

“Gone are the days when project teams were required to submit binders of documentation requiring hours of manual preparation,” said Tom Hicks, vice president of LEED, USGBC. “The biggest advancement is that now the LEED process is entirely online, making it easier for project teams to manage,” he added.

Streamlined, online documentation is just one of a number of recently-implemented LEED process innovations that will make the documentation and certification process more user-friendly without diminishing the technical rigor and quality of LEED, according to USGBC. The LEED credit requirements remain unchanged. Project teams are still required to verify their achievements through third party validation and ensure that the building is built as designed.

The process has also been changed to allow project teams to submit documentation in two phases for new construction projects—for the design and construction phases separately. This two-stage submission mirrors the way project teams work, the Council said, and gives the team an interim opportunity to ensure that the project is on track for its certification goals.

The process refinements are the result of market surveys, dialog with organizations and individuals who use LEED and a technical partnership between USGBC and Adobe.